Friday, November 4, 2011

Of Souls and Saints 1: Children’s Trick-or-Treat

*candies we prepared for the children

* the children lining up for their candies

* the children posing for picture taking

Trick-or-treat (or trick-or-tricking) is an activity primarily done by children and is actually part of the celebration of Halloween. Although the celebration of the All Saints’ Day and the All Souls’ Day is somehow rooted in religion-related traditions, Halloween has its origins in pagan practices. But such differences are no longer relevant and are in fact largely ignored. That’s why we have trick-or-treat as part of these early November holidays.

What made the trick-or-treat I have witnessed quite amusing is its closer resemblance to a gift-giving or Christmas Day celebration where children just await for gifts of sweets. There was no threat of any ‘trick’ from the children. In the end, whether an event comes from heathen traditions or not, they are pardoned in favor of brief treats and pleasure for children. Children must always be happy, so they say.